Published 12:26 pm, Saturday, September 5, 2015

Lone Star College has partnered with private and public organizations to participate in the 2015 White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.

A local investment of nearly $11 million in the Houston area will be used to further support and advance the educational attainment of Hispanics from “cradle-to-career.”

“The Hispanic population at Lone Star College continues to grow,” said Steve Head, LSC chancellor. “This initiative will help us make sure our Hispanic students are prepared to further their education after high school.”

It is estimated that 63 percent of all jobs will require some post-secondary training by 2018. Initiatives like these will help open doors and lead to better employment opportunities.

Lone Star College pledged $710,000 to continue encouraging the partnership between educational institutions, community-based groups, and parents through tools that would help them gain knowledge about the K-20 education system.

“Lone Star College is proud to be a part of this very important program that will advance the educational attainment of Hispanics,” said Dr. Melissa Gonzalez, LSC vice chancellor for workforce education and economic development. “We will offer workshops and forums in Spanish with themes related to parents and their children’s education.”

Sessions will include understanding school protocols, what resources are available to families, meeting school officials and increasing exposure and access to college.

“Our focus for this program will be to develop a positive attitude toward education in the East Aldine area,” said Gonzalez. “When you take into account the new LSC-East Aldine Center that is being built, you can see tremendous opportunities for Hispanics looking to better their lives.”

The LSC-East Aldine Center is expected to open in fall of 2017.

LSC is joined by The National Hispanic Professional Organization, University of Houston-Downtown, University of Houston, Talento Bilingue de Houston, Tejano Center for Community Concerns, NASA Johnson Space Center, American Latino Center for Research, Education and Justice, Houston Hispanic Forum and Youth Genesis Consulting, Inc.

The $11 million commitment from these organizations will potentially impact more than 350,000 students and 47,000 parents and educators in the Houston area.

“The commitments announced by Houston’s public and private leaders will help us tackle the critical education challenges Hispanics face from cradle-to-career,” said Alejandra Ceja, the initiative’s executive director. “Investing in our Latino students is not only the smart thing to do but it is also the right thing to do to strengthen our country’s economy and global competitiveness. In order to continue leveling the playing field for Latinos and ensure our nation’s vitality, we must continue to invest in their educational advancement.”

The White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, established in 1990, was created to address the educational disparities faced by the Hispanic community. The initiative will celebrate its 25th anniversary in September, a historic milestone that will be commemorated with the leveraging of public and private sector commitments to action that invest in quality education programs and strategies for Hispanics.